---
title: Star a message
---

import {Steps, TabItem, Tabs} from "@astrojs/starlight/components";

import FlattenedSteps from "../../components/FlattenedSteps.astro";
import KeyboardTip from "../../components/KeyboardTip.astro";
import NavigationSteps from "../../components/NavigationSteps.astro";
import ZulipTip from "../../components/ZulipTip.astro";
import MessageActions from "../include/_MessageActions.mdx";
import MessageLongPressMenu from "../include/_MessageLongPressMenu.mdx";
import TopicActions from "../include/_TopicActions.mdx";
import ViewStarredMessages from "../include/_ViewStarredMessages.mdx";

import MoreVerticalIcon from "~icons/zulip-icon/more-vertical";
import StarIcon from "~icons/zulip-icon/star";
import StarFilledIcon from "~icons/zulip-icon/star-filled";

Starring messages is a good way to keep track of important messages, such as
tasks you need to go back to or documents you reference often.

## Star a message

Starred messages have a filled in star (<StarFilledIcon />)
to their right.

<Tabs>
  <TabItem label="Desktop/Web">
    <FlattenedSteps>
      <MessageActions />

      1. Click the **star** (<StarIcon />) icon.
    </FlattenedSteps>

    <ZulipTip>
      You can unstar a message using the same instructions used to star it.
    </ZulipTip>

    <KeyboardTip>
      You can use <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>S</kbd> to star or unstar the selected
      message.
    </KeyboardTip>
  </TabItem>

  <TabItem label="Mobile">
    <FlattenedSteps>
      <MessageLongPressMenu />

      1. Tap **Star message**.
    </FlattenedSteps>

    <ZulipTip>
      You can unstar a message by tapping **Unstar message** in the
      long-press menu.
    </ZulipTip>
  </TabItem>
</Tabs>

## View your starred messages

<ViewStarredMessages />

## Unstar all messages in a topic

<Tabs>
  <TabItem label="Desktop/Web">
    <FlattenedSteps>
      <TopicActions />

      1. Click **Unstar all messages in topic**. If you don't see this option,
         then you have no starred messages in the selected topic.
      1. Approve by clicking **Confirm**.
    </FlattenedSteps>
  </TabItem>
</Tabs>

## Unstar all messages

<Tabs>
  <TabItem label="Desktop/Web">
    <Steps>
      1. Hover over <StarIcon /> **Starred messages**
         in the **views** section of the left sidebar.
      1. Click on the **ellipsis** (<MoreVerticalIcon />).
      1. Click **Unstar all messages**. If you don't see this option,
         then you have no starred messages.
      1. Approve by clicking **Confirm**.
    </Steps>

    <ZulipTip>
      If the **views** section in the left sidebar is collapsed, click the
      triangle to the left of **views** to uncollapse it.
    </ZulipTip>
  </TabItem>
</Tabs>

## Toggle starred messages counter

By default, Zulip displays the number of starred messages in the left
sidebar; this allows you to use them as an inbox of messages you'd
like to come back to. If you are using starred messages for something
else and would prefer not to see the count in your left sidebar, you
can disable that feature.

<Tabs>
  <TabItem label="Desktop/Web">
    <FlattenedSteps>
      <NavigationSteps target="settings/preferences" />

      1. Under **Left sidebar**, toggle **Show counts for starred messages**.
    </FlattenedSteps>
  </TabItem>
</Tabs>

## Related articles

* [Marking messages as unread](/help/marking-messages-as-unread)
* [Reading strategies](/help/reading-strategies)
* [Searching for messages](/help/search-for-messages)
